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The third day of our journey was all about mosquées. But before that, we went to Kermel market. Day 3: Morning: Placed in the city center, the Kermel market is a good place to get immersed in the real senegalese … Sigue leyendo →

La corniche. It’s the highway that borders the sea. Great views! Specially in the sunset. Lots of people gather around to practice sport in the outdoor gym situated next to the open ocean.

Palais de la République. Situated in Plateau, the “Palais Présidentiel” was initially built for the governors (the capital of Senegal was then placed in Saint Louis), but eventually became the president’s residence. It’s not permitted to go inside but it’s an interesting place to look around, specially, the colonial building, the gardens that surround it and the guard at the door.

Fish market. The fish market is an improvised market situated close to Dakar (at the shore of the same Corniche). You can find fresh fish and other shellfish. It’s interesting to see how the fish goes from the sea directly to the fishmonger who cleans it up and prepares it to be sold at the best price possible. It’s also nice to see when the sailors arrive at the shore with their small colorful boats.

Sandaga market. This market is situated in the centre of Dakar (at the crossing of Pompidou avenue and Lamine Gueye avenue) and they sell almost everything: clothing, electronic devices, kitchen tools, kids games, food… it’s pleasant to walk around and to take a look at the different vendors. Be careful when taking pictures, people often get angry when you do it without their approval. Also take care of your personal belongings; although Dakar is not a dangerous city, it’s common to find pickpockets in crowded places such as these markets.

African renaissance monument. It’s a 49 meter bronze statue situated in Ouakam (Dakar), on top of the Coline des Mamelles. The statue symbolizes the independence of the african countries and their upcoming growth. It was also highly criticized for costing over 27 Millions US$ in a country with many other main priorities. They accused President Abdoulaye Wade of making more of an “ego” statue rather than a real symbol of liberation. Anyway, the statue is worth seeing! It’s huge and you can go up to its head and enjoy great 360º city views.

Lac Rose. At one hour drive from Dakar you can find the Lac Rose (or pink lake). Its special algae produce a red pigment to defend themselves from high salinity turning the waters pink. This lake measures 3km2 and on its surroundings there is a small salt collecting industry. It used to be the finishing point of the ultra famous Paris-Dakar rally. Its great colors and contrasts make the lake a beautiful and virgin place to visit. I recommend driving around the whole way, where you will find great views (specially at sunset) and a huge variety of animals such as orchids or different types of birds. There is also a small bar with a little dock where you can have something to drink and relax with the magnificent views of the reflections of the sun over the salted lake.

Hope you enjoyed the post!!! Eventually I’ll post more information about what to visit in the outskirts of Dakar and other activities you can do here 🙂